Part 85

(POV - Marcus)

He found himself in the empty gym once again, dragging one of the heaviest punching bags to the chain that swung from the rafters. He hooked it up with a grunt and stepped back, rolling his shoulders.

The gym had always been the best place for him to unwind and release his frustrations. It had just been a long while since he was frustrated enough that he needed the solid weight of a punching bag threatening to split his knuckles to distract him from his thoughts.

He refused to feel guilty for wanting to protect his mate.

They may have only spent a short amount of time together, but Marcus knew that seeing April this early would have shattered Aria, and that wasn't something he was willing to put her through.

He threw quick, sharp jabs at the punching bag, unrelenting until his arms burned and his hands ached.

And he punched through bag after bag, his frustration only mounting with every torn bag, the sand spilling out onto the gym floor.

He growled and yanked the last one down, the chain breaking and crashing to the floor with a resounding crash.

"You're still as predictable as ever," Inara said from her spot at the doorway. He knew she'd been standing there for a while, watching him take out his anger on inanimate objects. But neither of them had said a word.

"You're as nosy as ever," he shot back, his lip curled nastily. She rolled her eyes and pushed off the door frame, stepping into the gym proper.

"What do you plan on doing now that you've ruined yet another ten punching bags?" she asked, sounding only mildly curious. "Punch through walls?"

"Fuck off, Inara," he warned, far from the sort of mood she was hoping for. But she only shrugged, sitting down on one of the weight racks lining the wall on the other end of the gym.

"I think you were both wrong in how you handled that situation," she said, her opinion entirely unwelcome and unsolicited.

"I think you're itching for a fight and know exactly where to go to get it," he countered, maybe a little petty, but he didn't give a shit just then. His veins sizzled with the look of utter betrayal on Aria's face when she'd turned to look at him, something he hadn't ever expected to see. It hurt him deeply that she didn't seem to understand why he had hidden April away.

"Maybe," Inara shrugged, rolling her shoulders. "Are you going to run like you did just now?"

"Inara," he growled.

"Marc," she taunted, her voice dropping low to mock his. "You know what you did was wrong, why are you being so bull-headed about it?"

His back foot slid out, the only warning he gave her before he lunged at her, his fist shooting out and narrowly missing her jaw as she ducked in time.

"There we go," she said, lifting her hands to shield her face. "Channel that rage into something a little more productive."

"Shut up," he snarled, launching a series of attacks that hit their marks square. She coughed and danced out of reach, and a particular blow had blood dribbling from her nose. She wiped it away with the back of her hand and crooked a finger at him.

They fell into a familiar spar, knowing each other's tactics and moves well enough that it was a pretty even match until Inara collapsed hours later, her body pushed beyond its limits.

Marcus had calmed down a little thanks to his impromptu spar with Inara, and he knew that was exactly what she had been angling for when she went after him.

"You still hit like a pup," she said breathlessly, and he rolled his eyes at her. She was lying flat on her back, her chest heaving from the physical exhaustion.

"Yeah, and you still whine like one," he countered, dragging a hand through his sweaty hair. She tutted and struggled to her feet, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"No, 'you' whine like a pup," she retorted, blowing an errant strand of hair out of her face. "And you'd better find Aria and talk to her. I can't even imagine how hard it must be seeing her best friend like that, and you're in here throwing a hissy fit like an Alpha who got his toys taken away from him. You make it right or you'll find out exactly how hard I 'can' hit."

"She was the one snooping around my office," he growled petulantly. "And she made it seem like I was the one who caused April's distress, like I told the she-wolf to follow that psycho."

"I don't care," Inara said, and she meant it. "Aria is the greatest thing to have happened to this pack in years and I'll be damned if you ruin the first girlfriend I've gotten since my sister, you got that?"

He clicked his tongue dismissively, not taking her threat too seriously but knowing that she was right regardless. He'd have to find Aria to make it up to her, to hopefully explain why he'd hidden April from her and lied to her when she asked after her best friend's condition. But there were other matters that swam to the forefront of his already preoccupied mind.

"Have you heard anything about Griffin?" he asked, getting to his feet and unstrapping his hands. At least the bandages were only soaked with sweat and not blood this time around.

Inara suddenly looked murderous, no doubt recalling the information Jaden had brought back to them from his scouting mission.

Griffin was April's mate.

Marcus hadn't been very surprised by the news, but it had set his teeth on edge, knowing that the young Alpha had been close enough to Aria that he might have done some serious damage. It was one of the reasons that he had hidden April away from Aria and the rest of the pack, not wanting word to get out that Marcus had stolen Griffin's true mate away while he was away. Griffin had a reputation for abusing his female partners, and he'd been especially cruel to April.

But he hadn't known how to explain any of that to Aria, and it had landed him in hot water with her subsequently.

"We're following a lead," she said, her arms folding across her chest. "But he's as slippery as a lubed up eel."

"That's... graphic," a sudden voice said. Both Marcus and Inara whipped around to the door, the owner of the new voice wearing a mischievous little smirk on his smug face.

"Knock knock," Jaden said, rapping his knuckles on the open door.

"What the hell do you want?" Marcus growled. Jaden shrugged.

"Just dropping by to let you know that the preparations for your mating run are complete," Jaden said.

Oh, shit.

How could he forget?

He turned back to Inara. "Make sure this fucking mess is dealt with before the mating run," he ordered, backtracking as reality caught up with him. "If Aria is even talking to me by then."

"Don't be so dramatic," Jaden chided, nudging Marcus's shoulder lightly. "She's crazy about you, for some reason."

"Jaden," Inara warned, her eyes fixed on Marcus's ticking jaw. "I think maybe it's time for you to go."

"Relax, Ina," Jaden chuckled, waving a hand at Inara's concern. "Marc knows I'm only messing with him. Right, Marc?"

"Was there any important news you wanted to deliver?" Marcus questioned.

"I spoke to Helldog, and he said he wouldn't miss it for the world as long as you get him those tiny wiener dog things that the humans love so much."

"Great, then you can g-"

"Oh, and the seamstress for Aria's dress will be here tomorrow for measurements and design," Jaden continued, unfazed by the twitch in Marcus's left eye nor the warning Inara flashed him. "There's also a list of wolves attending and not attending that we have to sort through, because some of them aren't the biggest fans of meat-"

"Jaden, shut the fuck up,"

Marcus snapped, startling Jaden into silence. "I'll let you know when Aria talks to me again. This entire run might be called off because, evidently, I'm an asshole."

"A 'giant' asshole," Inara corrected him, sending him a cheeky thumbs up when he growled at her.

"Could both of you just get out," he sighed. "Leave me alone."

They complied easily enough, only Inara lingered long enough to whisper, "She misses you more than you could ever know."

She left then, following Jaden out and leaving Marcus alone with his thoughts.

He knew that Aria missed him. He knew because he missed her too, their bond impatient and unhappy where it lay quietly between them.

Inara was right; Aria had to be freaking out and he had sequestered himself in the gym to box out his feelings.

Very mature.

He got to his feet with a tired groan and stretched his shoulders.

He would need to pay Jonah yet another visit to determine what kind of treatment April would need and what medications Marcus would have to add to their next supply run. He guessed that it would be a pricey endeavor, but he couldn't stand seeing the concern in his mate's eyes.

He wanted to do whatever it took to make sure it never clouded her bright eyes again.

Even if it meant reluctantly shelving his pride and seeking her out so that they could discuss things the right way.

He would do anything for Aria.

Even if it meant he sacrificed his obsessive need for control.

For Aria, it was all worth it.